An Artist's Touch
by Celestial Rainstorm
Summary: The Cutie Mark Crusaders have a new crusade idea - art cutie marks! When they enlist the help of the local art pony, she teaches the CMC that getting a cute mark is much more than just discovering their special talent. Please Read and Review.


**Hullo droplets! Okay, this was originally going to be a series of oneshots, but I decided LOL NOPE! I'm just going to upload what I have. I am pretty hesitant to post on MLP because it seems my stories get overshadowed by clop, suicide, yuri, and other stories of the sort. Oh well, maybe you'll prove me wrong. Sierra is an OC of mine that I made because she would be crucial to this story. So she is mine! Want to see her design? Go check out my DA page! (link on my profile). **

**~Snowflakes to all, Cel Rainstorm**

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"This is going to be our best crusade yet!" The light orange filly, Scootaloo, yelled over her shoulder to her best friends. Her violet eyes glimmered with excitement as her tiny wings tried to propel her forward, flapping frantically. Her two best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle grinned back at her.

"This is _sure_ to get us our cutie marks! I wonder what mine'll look like!" Sweetie Belle squealed, giving a leap of pure joy. Suddenly, Scootaloo collided with another pony on the road, not watching where she was going. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle tried to skid to a stop, but ended up in a dusty pile on the road, lying on top of a familiar mare.

"Oops! Sorry, Fluttershy." Scootaloo said as the ponies all tried to untangle themselves. The yellow mare got to her feet, shaking her rose mane of all the dust.

"That's alright, girls. What's the rush?" Fluttershy said, smiling softly down at the Crusaders, readjusting her askew saddlebag. Beside her stood none other than Discord, the draconequus carrying a few bags of his own. It looked like the three fillies had interrupted a shopping trip. Applebloom rushed up to the both of them, panting with enthusiasm, her amber eyes wide.

"Hi Fluttershy, hi Dizzy! Guess what we're gonna get our cutie marks in today!" The little yellow filly exclaimed, bouncing around the two adults.

"Let me guess. Squealing?" Discord said wryly. Fluttershy rolled her eyes with a smile.

"No, silly! We're gonna get it in art!" She shrieked, giggling in glee. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded in enthusiasm.

"That's why we're headin' to Sweet Apple Acres! Applebloom says she has some old art supplies that we can use to get our cutie marks! I hope mine's a paintbrush!" Sweetie Belle said, wriggling her flank in the air. The other two fillies nodded in agreement. Fluttershy and Discord shared a look before the mare walked up to the Crusaders who were still giggling and talking about what cutie mark they thought they were going to get.

"Girls, Dizzy and I were just heading up to the local art shop to get some supplies for an indoor birdhouse I'm making. Why don't you join us? I think there's someone you'd like to meet." Fluttershy offered. The girls all perked up at the shy pony's offer.

"That'd be awesome! Let's go!" Scootaloo cried, turning tail and beginning to gallop down the road. She then skidded to a stop and looked over her shoulder to the four others who had stayed put. She blushed lightly, lowering her eyes. "I…uh…guess we should actually figure out how to get there first."

Fluttershy lead the fillies to a shop amidst the marketplace. It was a quaint little chalet, adorned with many different and bright colors. The sign hanging over the door was a palette with a paintbrush laid on top of it. The whole thing was very welcoming and inviting. The three fillies dashed through the door, the welcome bell tinkling merrily. Fluttershy followed right after, giggling at their excitement. Discord ducked under the doorframe, following his friend through the door. Even he chuckled as he saw the fillies prancing about the store. There were paints of every color, pencils of every shade, blending stumps, plastic palettes, ceramic palettes, wooden palettes, hammocks, paintbrushes of every size, canvases, packs of drawing paper, wooden accessories. It was basically an artist's dream shop. Scootaloo was trying on a smock far too big for her; Sweetie Belle was furiously trying to clean a spot of bright red paint she had squirted on her silvery coat; and Applebloom was studying every size of brush, feeling their texture with a hoof.

Suddenly, they all turned as a door leading to the back room opened and a pegasus mare stepped out, standing behind the counter.

"Why, cheerio, Fluttershy and Discord! What can I help you with, dears?" The mare said, her high voice thick with the unmistakable Trottingham accent. The three fillies trotted up to the counter to meet this mare. She had a light blue-grey coat and a dark blonde mane that was trussed up in a high ponytail, bangs falling over her face. Her dark navy blue eyes studied the three fillies behind square glasses. "Why, who are these three dears? Oh, they're darling!"

"This is Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. They're interested in becoming artists." Fluttershy introduced the three fillies. They all grinned expectantly up at the blue-grey mare. She smiled softly down at the fillies before turning away from the counter and walking around it. Opening a small door, the mare stepped out. She wore thick, grey stockings on each leg as well as a glittering pendant that appeared to be an aquamarine. However, it was not her unique appearance that captivated the young ponies. It was the cutie mark on her flank that had them transfixed.

"Wow! A real, live artist!" Sweetie Belle cried, pointing to the mare's flank. There lay a palette splattered with several different colors, a paintbrush dripping bright blue paint laying across it. The mare chuckled.

"I suppose I am! Now, what can I help you two with?" She said to Fluttershy and Discord.

"I need some of those special horsehair paintbrushes you gave me last week, if it's not too much trouble Sierra. I'm making some new birdhouses and someone decided it was okay to _eat_ my brushes." The yellow pegasus said with a playful glance up at Discord. He shrugged sheepishly.

"You left them lying around." He mumbled. The mare named Sierra giggled, rolling her eyes.

"I just got some new in stock, and they're on a wonderful sale. Come along." She said. Glancing down at the fillies, she said, "I'll be right with you three." While Sierra was pointing out the new products to Fluttershy and Discord, the Crusaders were all gathered together, talking quietly and excitedly.

"Wow! I want the cutie mark Sierra has!"

"She seems so nice! D'y'all really think she's gonna get us our cutie marks?"

"It's worth a shot!"

A few minutes later, Fluttershy made her purchase and she and Discord began to head home. She turned to the girls, "Now, do you want me to come pick you up later?"

"I'll take them home, it would be no trouble!" Sierra said with a wave of her hoof. Fluttershy grinned then walked out the door. The fillies waved after her then turned to the artist pony. She smiled softly before walking over to the fillies. "So, you three want to try your hooves at art, eh?" She asked. The three nodded vigorously. Sierra smiled even wider, her bespectacled eyes glittering. Turning, she walked behind her counter, beckoning the fillies to follow with a wing. They trotted after her into the back room of the shop. As they peeked through the door, they saw a huge room in a size betrayed by the shop's small outward appearance. There were framed paintings and drawings all over the wall. Most of them were of animals of all kinds. More canvases sat on easels, some blank and others half-painted. There was a desk in the back corner with papers all strewn about it. Supplies sat neat and organized on a large bookcase. Atop the bookcase sat a black owl with white eyebrow rings around her eyes.

"Welcome to my studio. This is where I create all my art." Sierra explained, waving a hoof across the room. She then made a strange, low hooting noise and the owl immediately spread her wings and flew across the room, landing perfectly on the pegasus' outstretched arm.

"This is Speckles. She's a spectacled owl and a very good mate of mine." Sierra said, lovingly nuzzling the owl, who hooted happily.

"Speaking of 'mates,' how do you know Fluttershy and Discord?" Sweetie Belle asked. Sierra rested Speckles on a perch as she picked up a few stray pieces of paper from the floor.

"Fluttershy and I are very good friends. See, I center my art on animals, and she's very helpful in bringing them to me and keeping them calm while I paint or draw them. And Dizzy is always good for a laugh. Plus, he's excellent practice to draw, since he's a draconequus – made up of all different animals and such. Now, what has possibly driven you little ones to pursue the arts?" Sierra asked as she walked to the desk.

"Well, we're all…well, look." Scootaloo said grimly, raising her flank in the air. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle followed suite.

"I see a few bare rumps." Sierra said. "You want your cutie marks in art, eh?" The fillies all nodded vigorously. Sierra chuckled and she bustled around her desk a moment. She then brought over a few pieces of drawing paper and pencils. She also brought forward some weird sticks that looked like they were made of paper. Lying them in front of each filly, she directed, "I want each of you to draw a picture, of anything you want. Just tell me when you're finished. I'm going to finish up a new piece."

The room grew quiet as the four girls concentrated on their drawings. It was amazing to watch Sierra go about her work. She wouldn't continuously draw with a pencil – she'd do a few different strokes with one, pick up another pencil, then pick up one of the weird paper sticks and use it like a pencil also. Soon, she put down all her tools and trotted over to the three fillies.

"How are you doing?" She said, peeking over their shoulders.

"Look! I drew my sister, AJ!" Applebloom cried, holding up her picture of the orange mare.

"I drew your owl!" Scootaloo said, holding up her own picture.

"I drew Discord!" Sweetie Belle said, brandishing her picture with flourish. Sierra grinned as she looked at each picture.

"They're all fantastic! Well done! Now, let me just frame this piece, then I'll give you some pointers." She said, turning back towards her desk.

"Ooh, we wanna see! Can we!?" Sweetie Belle begged, looking over the desk. Sierra got a bit of a funny look on her face, then looked all around to make sure they're alone.

"Alright. Discord commissioned me this piece for Flutter's birthday, and it's to be a surprise," Sierra said, picking up the paper the turning it towards the girls. They gasped in unison as they looked at the drawing. It looked as if Sierra had shrunk down their two friends, took away their color and placed them on the paper, it looked so real.

"Whoa! That is the best drawing I've ever seen!" Scootaloo cried out, her jaw dropping. Sierra lay the drawing carefully down on the desk, blushing slightly.

"What's 'commission' mean?" Applebloom asked as the pegasus began to slip the picture into its frame.

"It means somepony pays me a few bits to draw or paint a certain piece of art." Sierra explained as she slipped the framed picture into a bubble-wrap lined envelope. As she looked back up, she noticed the three fillies looking down at their own drawings with heartbroken expressions. She walked forward to the forlorn ponies.

"Why, what is the matter little ones?" Sierra asked in concern. Scootaloo sighed deeply as her eyes filled with tears.

"Look at our drawings! They look awful compared to yours!" She said angrily while beginning to crumple her drawing of Speckles. Sierra whinnied in alarm and placed her hooves on top of the young orange filly's stopping her destruction of her drawing.

"Rubbish! I'll have none of that, young mare!" She said sternly, looking down at the ponies over the rim of her glasses. "Allow me to ask a question – how old are you three?"

"Eight," the three fillies answered in unison.

"Exactly. And how long have you been doing art? And I mean drawing every day." Sierra asked. The three looked at one another, waiting for one or the other to answer.

"Um…just today. We only really color in our books and draw pictures for our friends and family for special occasions." Sweetie Belle admitted. The two other fillies nodded in agreement. Sierra's navy eyes turned soft as she sat down before the three ponies.

"That's just it, girls. I'm twelve years older than you are, and I've been doing this all my life. Let me tell you a story. When I was a filly just like you, with a bare rump, messy mane, and curious fashion, I was bullied a lot. Every other filly in my school could sing like an angel and fly with such grace, you'd think they're from the heavens themselves. I can't sing a note and am quite clumsy. I was always knocking things over, tripping over my own hooves, or even flying upside-down. So I was picked on quite badly. Every time I came home from school, I just lay on my bed and cried.

Then, when my father brought me home some old art supplies, I began to draw. As I drew, I forgot all about the pain and focused on the art. When I finished a drawing, I realized I wasn't sad any longer and had produced something beautiful. Art became my escape from the bullies. When I realized I had a very special talent in making art, my confidence appeared and I stood strong against those foals who picked on me. However, almost a year passed before a cutie mark appeared on my flank. And yes, just like you, I was the last in my class who was still bare." Sierra said, turning her body and looking down at her cutie mark.

"How'd you know about that?" Applebloom exclaimed. Sierra winked.

"Fluttershy told me all about you, Crusaders. You are the only fillies in the school without a cutie mark yet. And you know what? That's okay. My cutie mark appeared when I entered a painting in an art show. I didn't win first place, but I wasn't sad. I was so happy that it was still recognized and I remembered having so much fun painting it. When I realized that art is not only my _talent_, but my _passion_, this appeared. You see, girls, getting a cutie mark is not just about finding your own special talent. A cutie mark is also about your own passion – doing something you absolutely love. I live and breathe for my art, just like Fluttershy lives for her animals and Pinkie Pie lives to make ponies smile. It's their passion, and finding a passion is one of the hardest things to do in life.

That is why I am so proud of you girls for working so hard to find your talent. But don't expect it to suddenly come to you once you try one certain thing. I've practiced my art longer than any of you have been alive. You must find something you love and _practice_ at it. Then you will discover not only your talent, but a destiny as well." Sierra finished. The three fillies all looked at one another in amazement.

"I never thought of it that way." Applebloom said quietly. The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly all three leapt to their feet and threw their arms around the grey pegasus.

"Thank you, Sierra! Now we know what to do and get our marks!" Scootaloo cried. Sierra chuckled and hugged them all back before she slipped Discord's commission into her saddlebag and threw it over her back.

"Now it's time I deliver this and get you fillies home." Sierra said.

"Are you kidding?! It's not even noon yet! We've got a full day ahead of us! We need to find the thing we love!" Sweetie Belle shrieked excitedly.

"Yeah, a new crusade! C'mon girls, let's go!" Scootaloo declared, running towards the door and out of the studio.

"Bye Sierra! And thank you!" Applebloom called over her shoulder as they rushed out of the shop and into town before the pegasus mare could blink. She then laughed heartily and looked up at Speckles.

"Oy, what do you think, Speck? Think those girls are going to have the most special cutie marks in all of Equestria?" The owl hooted softly, perching on her owner's shoulder. Sierra chuckled softly and began to make her way out of the shop. "Aye, me too, Speck. Me too."


End file.
